Urb-E squeezes onto personal mobility train

Compact personal mobility vehicles are a great option for commuters looking to solve the "last mile" problem. The latest such vehicle to hit the streets aimed at filling this need is the Urb-E from Urban Mobility, which claims it is the "world's most compact electric vehicle."

Of course, it all depends on how you define "most compact," but we suspect the makers of electric skateboards, such as the Evolve, the Boosted Board and ZBoard, not to mention the Solowheel and S-Walker, might argue the point. But the claim might hold more water if you add a qualifier of "including a seat" into the equation.

Either way, the Urb-E is definitely compact – we just aren't sure exactly how compact since the company hasn't revealed the dimensions of the vehicle, or its weight. Although, the video below suggests users aren't likely to slip a disk while carrying it on public transport.

The Urb-E is powered by a lithium-ion battery that the company says gives the vehicle a range of 20 miles (32 km) at speeds of up to 15 mph (24 km/h). It basically consists of a seat, a folding triangular frame holding the batteries, two freely rolling wheels about 6 in (15 cm) in diameter at the rear, handlebars, and an 8-10 in (20-25 cm) front drive wheel with an electric hub motor.

There's no word on pricing or availability as yet, but the Urban Mobility team will be at CES this week, with a crowdfunding campaign set to begin in February.